


A Spark of Rebellion

by Madfox585



Series: Zoo Wars [1]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Zootopia (2016)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Gen, Science Fantasy maybe, Star Wars IS science fantasy, change my mind, whatever other tags apply to Star Wars?
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-15
Updated: 2019-01-03
Packaged: 2019-06-27 17:31:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15690081
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Madfox585/pseuds/Madfox585
Summary: Sergeant Judy Hopps of the Imperial Special Forces has awakened to the true reality of the Empire and decided that she can longer support it. To Atone, she decides she is willing to defect to the Rebel Alliance and fight the Empire. But it turns out joining the rebellion and fighting the Empire are two very different things. With the introduction of a new weapon within the Imperial Navy, and Imperial Agents hot on her tail, can Judy reach the rebellion and warn them in time to save them? And can she solve her own crisis of Identity before the Empire catches up to her?





	1. Title Crawl

It is a period of GALACTIC CIVIL WAR. Isolated rebel cells have formed together into the REBEL ALLIANCE in order to combat the forces of the GALACTIC EMPIRE. The Rebellion’s growing support has caused the emperor to order the elimination of the alliance the Empire’s top priority.

With a string of rebel attacks along the Perlemian Trade Route, the Empire’s NEW SHIP DESIGN is in danger of discovery. Its largest fleet commanded by the fearsome LORD SAVAGE has been sent to seek out and destroy the rebel base that has been the source of these attacks.

The pursuit of the rebels has led Lord Savage to a remote forest planet known as CHOLGANNA, where a rebel base, led by the fearless QUEEN MOTHER of Hapes, has been hiding. There the Imperial forces prepare to launch their devastating attack on the Rebels…


	2. Assault on Cholganna

The immense emerald orb of a planet below glistened in the great vacuum of space. Despite its beauty a large abundance of warships floated in orbit above it, locked in a deadly battle. Each ship trading red or green streaks of fire across the vacuum as they waged an intense war on each other. On one side of the battle sat the triangular warships of the empire engaging their enemy in a tight strategic formation. On the other side, the mismatched Junker ships that made up the rebellion. The rebellion forces were clearly outnumbered and outmatched with their forces quickly dwindling, as deep red lasers blasted their hulls and shattered them to bits.

Aboard one of the triangular ships of the empire sat a lone figure. “The Rebels’ forces are crumbling admiral.” A nearby officer reported. “The _Basilisk_ and _Ravager_ are reporting all systems green. The Rebel forces won’t be going anywhere.”

“Excellent.” The figure, a black sheep clothed in a pristine black and gray uniform, turned to address the officer “Tell lord savage he may begin his landing.”

 

* * *

 

Inside the warship’s hangar, an enormous amount of rabbits clad in clean ghostly white armor scampered about, frantically searching for their assigned unit and transport. The periodic rumble of an explosion rocked the hangar as the figures scrambled to regain their footing. Among the chaos, a single group of soldiers strode out to their transport ships, dressed head to toe in shiny black armor.

Unlike the endless stream of Stormtroopers, these soldiers strolled calmly to their ships. At their head a heavily built fox led the way. As they approached their transport shuttles the two smallest members of their group would be seen far behind them playing a desperate game of catch up.

“Judy, wait up.” Said Julian. Ahead of him Judy hopped forward impatiently.

“Julian, come _on_. Let’s _go_.” She practically whined out. She quickly darted around the larger mammals that made up her squad. Sheep or goats made up the bulk of their squad but the squad itself was led by a fox, Lieutenant Gideon Grey. Julian and Judy were the only two rabbits in the entire squad, and easily the smallest.

As Judy darted up the transports loading ramp the remaining members of her squad trailed in after her. Julian was the last one to pile in as the ramp began to close shut. Each of the troopers made their way over to the equipment rack to properly outfit themselves. As Judy grabbed her gear Julian strode up beside her “So you’re really that excited huh?”

“I’ve been waiting _years_ for this Julian. We’re among _gods_ here! I figured you’d be just as enthusiastic!”

“Oh I am…” He replied unconvincingly “…to an extent. I suppose I’d just prefer a desk job.”

“Why did you even sign up for Inferno then?” She asked.

“Someone had to look out for you.” He jibbed.

Judy gave him a derisive smile in response. “I can look out for myself you know.”

“And what kind of an older brother would I be if I let you?”

“ _What_?” She asked skeptically.

“Oh yeah. By three minutes!” He replied, matter-of-factly

“Mom never told _me_ that.”

“Well there’s a lot she hasn’t told you.” He smirked.

“Shut it!” Grey shouted as he bared his fangs at Judy, revealing the sharp canines beneath. Beside her Julian’s hand shot out across her chest between the two of them. “Or I’m gonna have me sum rabbit meat tonight.” By now Judy had grown accustomed to Grey’s threats, but in spite of that Judy elected to keep quiet out of some inkling of fear rather than any kind of respect.

Returning to their duty, Judy and Julian quickly took their positions alongside the rest of Inferno and waited for their shuttle to begin its take off sequence. Soon enough Judy could begin to feel the floor beneath her rumble as the ship slowly lifted and soared into the vacuum of space. The dark interior a stark contrast to her unusual cheery mood.

The shuttle quickly dropped away from the warship amongst dozens of others. The shuttles quickly darted towards the surface at remarkable speeds. Laser fire soared by, narrowly missing some shuttles while obliterating others.  

                            

* * *

 

On the ground, dense jungle surrounded the wreckage of an old Warship tangled in vines and overgrowth. A skeleton of days past and a reminder of the republic. Caches of equipment and defense stations surrounded the ship. A series of posts circled the ship establishing a defensive perimeter. Within the circle, a large group of shuttles and star fighters sat on the tarmac, preparing to evacuate.

A large assortment of mammals, big to small, scurried about the base, hurrying to either evacuate or take up defensive positions. Many rushed to their fighters, others to various armories. Numerous families hurried to evacuation shuttles, desperate to escape the encroaching battle. As the mammals darted to their positions a high pitched screech began to sound through the air.

“Tie fighters!” A rebel called out. In the sky a swarm of Starfighters descended upon the base raining down a hail of green laser fire. Explosions rocked the base as stationary rebel ships buckled and detonated under the enemy’s assault. Mammals struggled to reach their fighters as the ground trembled under the explosions.

Soon a series of transports crested the horizon, skimming just above the tree tops at breakneck speeds. Spotting the ships, the Rebels opened fire. The laser fire bounced off the ships as they begin their approach, only barely cutting through one ship before they reached the perimeter. The ships quickly land but their large and intimidating presence deceives their true cargo. The ramps slowly lowered and a wave of ghostly rabbit soldiers poured forth from the transport.

The sheer size of their infantry force strikes fear into all those before them. As the Stormtroopers spewed forth onto the field the rebels returned their fire, spilling green, blue, and red laser fire onto the battlefield. With every trooper the rebels cut down another takes its place.

As the transports landed to take up positions on the battlefield, a squad of black clad soldier climb out of their own. They quickly spilled onto the battlefield weapons blazing, Lieutenant Grey leading the charge. “Inferno Squad! Forward!” He howled. As the obsidian troopers charge into battle, a single soldier stood at the edge of the fight, observing the chaos.  “Alpha take positions along the west flank! Delta push forward!” A nameless captain yelled.

While this technically was Judy’s first fight, she had experienced countless simulations during her training. She had gained quite the reputation among her fellow cadets, calling her ruthless and single-minded in her pursuits. From the very start she had been doubted by her classmates, and their neglect and disregard for her only hardened her resolve. Soon enough she was labeled the most effective fighter in her entire class, and were it not for her lack of experience, would likely have been offered a command position. And while Judy did appreciate the attention a _little_ , her classmates were certainly exaggerating. She had been training specifically for a Special Forces position so it was natural she was going to train a little harder. And here stood the fruit of her labor.

Explosions shook the earth, raining dirt on their heads as they trudged through the jungle. Laser fire kept them pinned but the sheer size of the Empire’s forces kept their momentum. Screams of pains echoed and bounced off the surrounding foliage. To her right she spotted a trooper who had been shot clean through the chest howling in pain as a medic tended his wounds. Through the trees, Judy could see the towering figures of the rebels. Lions, tigers, bears, and other ginormous creatures seemed to make the bulk of their forces. But what the Empire lacked in size, it more than made up for in numbers. As the Stormtroopers pushed they eventually overwhelmed the rebel’s positions, and they begin spilling into the courtyard. Ships and evacuation transports covered the massive space before them, but none of them got a chance to leave as the troopers begin firing on them. Rebels would stop mid run to fire back at the imperials, only to be gunned down within seconds.

While the simulations had prepared Judy for the chaos of war, it had not prepared her for the families. As the Stormtroopers began their charge Judy spotted numerous families fleeing for their own lives. She quickly spotted a young bear polar bear cub alone, in the middle of the field, crying for his parents as lasers fired back in forth all around him. He slowly wandered the field, lost and confused, tears streaming down his face. Unable to peel her eyes away Judy finds herself watching on helpless as the bear crossed the battlefield. Every second that passed felt like a millennia as every laser that passed over the young cub’s head could have seen to his end.

“Judy!” She was quickly pulled out of her daze by the sound of her brother’s voice “Judy! Come on! We need to push forward!” Julian was suddenly in front of her urging her forward “Let’s go!” she somehow managed to find her legs and began to move forward. She quickly followed by her brother’s side, taking cover behind a nearby X-wing Starfighter.

She spotted the young cub again, still wandering the field. “Julian, there’s a cub on the field.”

Julian turned to her before following her outstretched digit, “He’s too far out, there’s nothing we can do.”

“We can’t just leave him!”

“What else are we going to do?” She looked back over at the cub, an internal battle raging in her mind. A battle she already knew the outcome of “Judy don’t.” Julian warned.

“Cover me.” She got up and quickly sprinted across the field bearing down on the cub’s position. She was vaguely aware of Lieutenant Grey’s voice in her ear but at the moment she was too focused on saving the cub to care. Before she could reach him however she was tackled behind a row of crates. She struggled against the attack before realizing it is Julian. “Let me go!” She protested.

“No! I’m not gonna let you get yourself killed!” She opened her mouth to protest but before she could he interrupted “Look! He’s safe!” He pointed back to the cub where a rebel soldier sprints into view and snatched the cub before quickly retreating back. As the rebel runs back, a stray bolt catches him in the back and he tumbles to the ground.

Judy got up to help again, but Julian held her down “Judy don’t!”

“I can’t just leave him!”

“It’s _suicide_!”

As they argued a high pitched screech began to sound overhead. Over the radio they hear a call “Tie fighters are making another pass!” With that more green laser rained from above destroying countless lines of rebels and blowing up starship after starship.

Looking back to where the cub was Judy found nothing. “Where’d he go?”

“He’s probably fine can _we_ go?” Julian worriedly asked.

“Hopps!” Another interruption barked over the radio “Get back here, _now_!” Grey growled into her ear.  

Julian shot Judy a look over his shoulder. Behind the helmet she could only guess at his expression, but she was sure she knew exactly what he was thinking. He jerked his head back in the direction of Sergeant Grey. “Let’s go.”

They jumped from cover to cover before finally making their way to Grey’s position. “Hopps! What were you thinking jumping ahead of the line like that?!”

Quick to defend herself, she responded “Sir there was a cub on the field and-“

“I don’t care _what_ was on the field Hopps!” He roared in her face. “You obey the orders I give you! Without question! Understood?” He had removed his helmet to make his point. His large vulpine pupils staring daggers through her, snarling with every word.

For a few moments Judy couldn’t respond. Her frustration and anger boiling to the surface, nearing her breaking point. She would _never_ follow an order if an innocent was going to get trampled because of it. She was here to _protect_ the citizens of the Empire, not _destroy_ them.

She was about to tell him as such when Julian broke in, reminding her she hadn’t responded in a good few seconds. “Judy…” He warned. It seemed he knew her too well.

“With all due respect sir. An innocent mammal was in _trouble_. I couldn’t just sit by and-“

“Your job is to _fight_ and _die_ for the Empire Hopps. Not some random civilian.” He hissed through his fangs. “If I catch you disobeying orders again, I’m going to feed you _and_ your brother to the _savages_ we keep below decks.”

Judy straightened herself up to begin another verbal assault, but before she could Julian’s paw finds itself on her shoulder. She doesn’t even look at him. She doesn’t need too to know what he’s saying. _Don’t do it_. She mentally sighed in defeat before dropping her head. “Yes sir.” She muttered just loud enough to be heard.

“What was that Sergeant?” Grey hissed again.

“Yes sir!” Judy returned, louder this time.

Grey eyed her a moment before speaking again “Return to the west flank.”

“Yes sir!” Julian responded, before leading Judy away. “Try not to piss off the fox Jude.” He half-heartedly joked, but Judy could detect real concern in his voice. She donned her helmet to hide her frustration before they move along to the front of the battlefield.

  

* * *

 

As the Empire pushed its way into the wreckage-turned-base, the Rebels fell back and evacuated to the best of their ability. But the Empire had them cornered. And with the Imperial fleet in orbit, it seemed very little transports were going to get through.

In the bridge of the wrecked shipped, sat the base’s command center. There an aging lion approached a female Gazelle observing the large holographic table set as the center piece of their little hideout. “Your highness, the fleet in orbit is preventing any transports from leaving.” He reported. “Imperial troops have broken through our outer defenses and are making their way into the base.”

“Perhaps it’s time we order the surrender of our forces Captain.” The doe calmly responded.

“Of course.” A short pause “I’m sorry ma’am.”

“Do not push the blame onto yourself Captain. It was not your fault.” The lion dipped his head in resigned distress before exiting. Turning to the holographic table she noted the design specifications of a strange new ship, very similar in shape to the Empire’s star destroyers, but different. Instead the ship’s form was much more flat and four large spheres embedded themselves into its frame. Pressing a button on the console, the hologram disappeared and a small chip popped out of a data port in the table. Grabbing the chip she raised it to her face to inspect it before quickly swallowing it.

 

* * *

 

As they pushed further into the base it became clear the rebels were fighting a losing battle. With each emerald bolt that soared through the air another rebel soldier fell. Their morale had begun to break and the rebels had begun to desperately fire in every direction in an attempt to escape.

Beside Judy, Julian fought fiercely. “You know if I didn’t know any better, I’d say the rebels were getting scared!” He jibed. Ignoring him, Judy charged forward for a better position. Plasma bolted by her striking a nearby cable and raining a shower of sparks down upon her. In a heartbeat Julian was on top of her again. “What are you doing? That’s a good way to get yourself killed!”

“Worry about your own head Jules!” She fired back. Another hail of plasma rained on their position showering them with scattered dirt.

Before he could respond she pushed forward again. “Judy wait!” He grabbed her arm and pulled before a red bolt shot past her and she felt the grunt before she heard it.

Turning to Julian she saw the massive red scorch that had seared into his armor. “Julian!” His knees gave out and he dropped. Judy dove after him catching him before he could hit the ground. Bolts of ruby fire struck the ground around them as she removed his helmet. “Julian cmon stay with me.”

As she finally pulled the helmet off she saw his face twisted with pain and desperate panic. “Oh… oh god.” He breathed as his shaky hands reached for his wound.

“Hold still Julian.” Turning back she yelled to the crows “MEDIC!” She began to apply as much pressure to the wound as she could. She knew so little about first aid, especially how to treat a blaster wound through armor. “Stay with me Julian.”

He began to take frantic shallow breaths as the pained overwhelmed him “Judy…” He croaked. Tears begun to form at the corners of his eyes.

“It’s okay Julian, I’m here.” She reassured.

“I…” His breathing was too rapid and panicked for him to get any words out “You…”

“Hang on Julian.” she stroked his face “MEDIC!” She screamed again.

“Judy…” His breathing he begun to slow but his face remained twisted in pain “T… T…” His breathing slowed to a sudden and abrupt stop as his pained expression froze to his face.

“No… No, no, no.” Judy panicked and began to pump his chest in an attempt to perform CPR “Come on stay with me.” Breathing into his mouth she began pumping again “Julian come on.” It felt like she had been pumping for hours before another trooper finally pulled her away. “No I have to help him!” she hollered at them, but her pleas fell on deaf ears as the trooper held her back.

She watched another trooper began to look over Julian before finally shaking his head and stepping aside. The trooper holding her back finally let her go and Judy quickly fell to Julian’s side. She just stopped by his side. Where once she felt life within him, there was now only emptiness. A dark void within where her brother once was, but now sat abandoned.

As Judy sat over her brother she cried. She let loose the flow of tears she had been holding back. Her head slowly falling to his chest in defeated loss. She found she could no longer care about the raging battle around her. It didn’t matter if they won here anymore. Her brother was dead. That’s all that mattered.

She didn’t know how long she sat there clutching his body. But before she knew it a gloved hand rested on her shoulder. Lifting her head to meet their gaze she found an unknown Stormtrooper. “Ma’am the battle is over. Lieutenant Grey requires your presence in the courtyard.”

Judy’s head dropped for a moment but she looked back up at the unknown trooper “I’ll… I’ll be there.” She slowly began to stand with the help of the trooper. She turned to look back at Julian. His lifeless eyes still staring into the ceiling. Turning to the trooper she nodded an acknowledgment and began to walk back to the courtyard outside.

              

* * *

              

As the Stormtroopers gathered the captured rebels in the courtyard, a large silver shuttle descended from the sky. Its menacing wings raised and folded up above its head as it makes its final landing approach. Finally touching down on the courtyard, its ramp slowly lowered, as hydraulic steam and decompression gasses escaped from hidden vents.

Judy watched on as Stormtroopers led a distressed Gazelle close to the ramp. An entourage of wolves clad in menacing black armor, not unlike her own, descended from the ramp in two rows. They took up positions on either side of the ship’s ramp, as a light steady tapping could be heard coming from the ship. The tapping slowly grew until a large shadow casted its way down the ramp toward the waiting Gazelle. Slowly the figure emerged from the depths of the ship, to reveal a small Rabbit.

Despite his small stature the lagomorph walked with an air of superiority and power that all would reel from with his arrival. His entire body clothed in darkly colored black and gray robes with a black belt and a simple metal clasp that held the attire to his small frame. A large cloak draped down his back to his ankles, clasped with a necklace strung with the claws and teeth of many predators. His cloak reached up to form a cowl which was worn over his already darkened metal helmet. On each side of the helmet sat two black stripes located directly above the jawline, not unlike that of a tiger’s stripes. A blackened T-shaped visor peered out at the scene before him.

As the Rabbit passed his canine guards, the Stormtroopers before him brought the Gazelle closer. “Lady Gazelle.” A baritone mechanical voice emanates from the rabbit as the tall doe graces her way to him. “I’m surprised to find the Queen Mother of the Hapes consortium so far from home. I suppose that means the Consortium is ready to step back from its neutrality then?”

With surprising grace and a velvety smooth voice, Gazelle fired out “You will never win. The Empire cannot succeed without the support of the people.”

“Looks like she has some _bite_.” He calmly replied. “Take her to our…”  He paused “ _Specialty_ cells. Make sure she’s comfortable.” He orders.

As she was led into his ship, a taller more menacing figure made its way past the base’s doorway, escorted by a squad of Stormtroopers. They stopped in front of the rabbit presenting to him their prisoner. One of the troopers spoke up “Sir, this is Captain Delgato. He is the acting commander of this rebel cell.”

The Rabbit craned his neck to look at the towering feline. “I don’t believe we’ve met before Captain.” A short pause. “Lord Savage, of the Imperial high command. You have something I want.” The rabbit, apparently called _Savage_ , nodded his head to the side before one of the troopers jabbed an electric baton into Delgato’s leg, dropping him to his paws and feet. Savage spoke up again, this time venom lacing his words “Where are the other rebel cells?”

Delgato breathed in a few heavy breaths before raising his head and spitting blood at the diminutive bunny standing before him. Judy noticed the troopers immediately surrounding Savage immediately recoil ever so subtly. The spray of saliva and blood dotted Savage’s pristine cloak and armor. For a few moments Savage did nothing. Then suddenly Delgato began gasping for air. He begins to claw at his throat as his body raises higher. The diminutive rabbit merely held up a single paw in a mock gesture as though he were strangling a cup, and the mighty lion is at the rabbit’s complete mercy.

“Where…” His voice strained “Are the other… _rebels_?” with the last word Savage’s point is emphasized by the noticeable shock on the lion’s face as a new wave of pressure is forced upon his throat.

“I will never… betray… the rebellion.” Delgato chokes out between gasps for breath.

“I see.” The small rabbit muttered. “Then I have no use for you.” Within moments a horrid crunching could be heard as the feline’s windpipe was crushed. Delgato had only moments to strangle out a plea before his eyes rolled back and his body falls limp. His large form plummeting to the ground motionless while Savage stood over it.

Slowly Savage reached a single hand out over the deceased lion. Before long more crunching and tearing could be heard and a small bloodied tooth flew from the predator’s jaw as it was ripped from its home, straight into Savage’s waiting hand. Judy found her stomach turning at the gruesome sight. The tooth itself, while on the small side for a lion, was still as large as the rabbit’s largest finger. Savage slowly inspected the ivory piece before pocketing it.

After moments of silence the lagomorph spoke again “Take the Officers to the brig, let their captain hold up as an example of those who do not cooperate.”

“And what shall we do with the rest sir?” Asked a nearby Sergeant. 

A small turn of the head and a moment of pondering before he simply replied “Execute them.”

 _What?!_ Judy’s eyes nearly bulged out of their socket. Her blood ran cold as she finds herself involuntarily staring in disbelief at the rabbit as he turns to leave. A whirlwind of emotions swirled through her. Loss, anger, sadness, disbelief. As she stared after Lord Savage her mind reeling with emotion, he stopped. For a moment he just stood there, but slowly he turned his head back over his shoulder to look in her direction. Despite the mask Judy could swear his eyes pierced straight through her. She didn’t see it as much as feel it, but it’s there all the same. And the expressionless visor staring at her only deepens her anxiety. Just when it seemed as though it would reach its peak Savage turned away and resumed the walk to his ship.

“Ready!” The voice of Lieutenant Grey shook Judy from her thoughts. All around Judy Stormtroopers raised their rifles and pointed them at the large group of civilians before them. Tentatively Judy raised her rifle with barely enough of a will to obey. Among the crowd she spotted a small white blur. Her stomach leapt into her throat. “Aim!” A familiar white bear huddled away in fear of the troopers. Her arms couldn’t find the will to stay raised any longer. To his chest he clutched a small doll. Around her the weapons of her comrades lock in place and prepare to fire. “Fire!” She squeezed her eyes shut. In a deafening roar crimson bolts flashed behind her eye lids. Screams of pain, anguish, and fear quickly overwhelmed her senses as she felt unbidden tears trail down her cheeks.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Woo boy. I swear the rest of the story isnt that heavy... probably. At least what i have completely written out so far. 
> 
> More to the point though. You guys have no idea how long ive been waiting to publish this. I can't say how glad i am to finally just have it out there. I've been wanting to jump into this fandom for a while, and i'm a little mad that i even waited this long. 
> 
> Truth be told when i first started working on this it was because, at the time, i couldnt find any good Zootopia Star Wars stuff. That of course has since changed and im glad theres some good stuff out there, but now im committed. 
> 
> That said, school starts up pretty soon for me. So between school and my job im not sure how often i'll get to write. But i promise you guys i wont give up. I'm pretty adamant about seeing this through, for my own pride's sake if nothing else. 
> 
> Here's to a speedy update! ciao. 
> 
> P.S. I love to reference other works within the Zootopia fandom. So if you see something you think might resemble another thing just a bit too much, it might just be an intentional reference. I'm not trying to steal your content i just want to pay homage. A good example from this chapter would be Julian's actual name, which comes from a fic i read some time ago but have since forgotten the name. : (


	3. Judy's Ruminations

The faint constant rumble of the ship’s engine and its crew were all Judy was aware of as she stared at the black metallic coffin before her. Inside, laid her brother, dead. Draped over the top was an imperial flag its logo a deep red against a black background. The symbol of Inferno Squad. Julian was the first trooper in Inferno Squad to die in the field of battle, and it was _her_ fault.

She was standing near the center of the large hangar bay that sat in the center of her father’s Star Destroyer, _The Defiance_ . Bright white lights and meticulously well cleaned and sanitized surfaces gave way to the large overhanging ceilings of the hangar. Large struts were suspended near the top where several squadrons of _Tie Fighters_ could be stored and deployed at highly efficient speeds. Today however the hangar served another purpose.

The single black coffin itself was placed in an alarming sea of silvered ones, each filled with a trooper who had fallen in the battle. It was true Judy felt sympathy for the hundreds, perhaps thousands, of Stormtroopers who had died in the fighting, many of them even family of her own, but she found it hard to muster the strength to care.

Judy loved her family. There was not doubt about that. But with over 300 direct siblings and a near innumerable number of extended relatives it was difficult to keep track of them all. With so many relatives some of them might as well have been complete strangers. How her parents could keep track she never knew. Julian however was different.

Julian and Judy had grown up in the same litter, and as such their relationship more closely resembled that of actual siblings. They, along with their three other littermates, had grown up as close as anyone could be. And Julian, always the older brother, had decided it was his job to watch over her and make sure she stayed out of trouble.

A shaky sigh escaped her as her ears picked up a fresh set of thuds heading toward her. Judy looked up just in time to see the bulky figure of her vulpine commander. Lieutenant Gideon Grey was the commander of Inferno Squad and Judy’s superior officer. His shiny black armor had been polished to exact imperial specifications and despite its custom fit, it buckled under the pressure of Grey’s gut. The small tufts of hair that sat atop his head had been groomed and slicked back to reflect his high status in the chain of command. To his side he clutched his helmet, emblazoned with the red emblem of inferno squad. “The indomitable Sergeant Judy Hopps.” He nearly snarled out. “Why aren’t you at your post?”

Taking a deep breath Judy spoke “I came to pay my respects sir.”

“I am aware...” He drawled. While Grey had refined his speech over the course of his time in the empire, the slightest hint of his rural Taanabian accent remained. “but I do not recall dismissing you.”

“Apologies sir.” She forced out. “I assumed since my brother-“

“You are not to _assume_ that I command anything unless I directly give it to you.” He snarled “When I give you an order _sergeant_ …” He heavily emphasized the last word “I expect you to foll-“

Grey’s eyes suddenly bulged from his head as he dropped his helmet and began clawing at his throat. He quickly fell to his knees gasping for air. Turning to her side a figure cloaked in all black stepped beside her. “Is this _creature_ giving you trouble Sergeant?” asked Lord Savage.

 _‘He knows who I am?’_ Judy thought. “N-no my Lord.” She quickly stammered out.

“Are you sure?” he asked again “It would be no trouble to _educate_ him.” He spat with just a hint of venom.

Grey began desperately clawing at his throat gasping for the slightest drop of air. His eyes had turned red and bloodshot and began to slowly stream tears from his face as he silently begged for mercy.

“What’s wrong?” Savage broke the silence “I sense fear within you.” He said. After a short pause he continued “Beasts like him need to learn their place. They need to be taught to respect their superiors.”

“Oh no my Lord, he’s my commanding officer.” She quickly defended. As Savage’s mask turned toward her she felt the dread congregate and pool inside her gut.

“That is only a title.” He responded “That does not make him… your _superior_ .” He spat. “Remember your place…” he said “and _theirs_.” As he nodded his head toward the struggling vulpine. As quickly as it had started Grey was released, dropping to his hands and knees as he desperately gasped for air. “Good day Sergeant.” Savage said as he made his way past her.

After Savage had disappeared from sight Judy reached out a hand to help Grey to his feet, only to be roughly shoved aside by gloved paws. “I don’t need help!” He aggressively rasped out, clutching his throat. He grabbed his abandoned helmet before standing to leave. “Report to the armory once you’re finished here.” He rasped again, still clutching his throat. He then turned and left Judy standing alone amongst the dead.

****

* * *

 

As the elevator slowed to a stop and its metallic doors slid open, Lord Savage stepped out onto the command bridge. He strutted his way across the raised platform, reserved for only the senior most officers, approaching the black sheep at the helm of the ship. A whirling concoction of blue and white twisted into a sharp tunnel of hyperspace behind the bridge’s large view port.. The Sheep himself was dressed in a similarly dark imperial officer uniform. A metallic band had been pinned to his breast to signify his rank of Admiral. “Lord Savage.” The sheep acknowledged.

“Admiral Bovid.” Savage forced out. After all this time the sheer amount of sheep still in command of the Empire’s forces was insulting. Rabbits were the true source of the Empire’s power. “How many rebels escaped the battle?” He inquired.

“I am proud to report that no rebel ships eluded our capture this time.” Bovid boasted.

Savage turned his head in surprise “Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” He replied “The new interdictor ships are exceeding our expectations.”

“Impressive. I shall inform the Emperor of their success.” Savage said.

“Admiral, we’ll be exiting hyperspace soon.” A nearby officer spoke up. Savage recognized the poor rabbit. He was a plump buck whose tailored uniform creased and folded at the edges, despite clear indications of a meticulous cleaning on his part. The metallic insignia pinned to his chest signified his status as _Captain_.

“Excellent.” Bovid spoke “I expect the hangar is prepared for the High General’s arrival?”

“Yes sir.” The captain responded.

“Good work Captain.” Bovid responded. As the rabbit left Bovid turned to Savage. “A good mammal that Hopps. It’s a wonder he hasn’t been promoted already.” Savage turned his head to look after the retreating rabbit. _‘Interesting.’_

****

* * *

 

Judy had been staring at the empty space above her bed for quite some time now. Her room, like many other Special Forces operatives, was situated in her own private corner away from the rest of the Stormtroopers. Each operative however bunked with another of their squad. Naturally Judy had bunked with Julian.

The two beds of the room had been embedded into the right side wall, Judy taking the lower bunk while Julian had elected to take the top. Now the bed’s lack of an occupant had become a glaring reminder of her failure. In her paws Judy held Julian’s Identity tags. Each tag held the owner’s designation number, blood type, and their assigned unit. Turning the tags over in her hands she read them to herself.

Behind her the door to Judy’s room slid open as in walked an ageing rabbit. She was clothed in a tailored black and gray officer uniform with a metallic plaque pinned to her chest signaling to all her rank of commander. “Mom…” Judy choked out.

“Hi Bun Bun.” Bonnie said cheerlessly. She had barely taken another step before her daughter rushed to her and embraced her fiercely. Soon enough, choked restrained sobs began to pour out of the younger rabbit. “I’m sorry about Julian.”

“It’s my fault… If I hadn’t-“ She sputtered out.

“No Judy. You did everything you could Sweetheart.” Bonnie soothed. “You did your best.” Commander Bonnie Hopps and her husband Captain Stuart Hopps were the two highest ranking officers aboard _the Defiance_ , second only to Admiral Bovid. In truth _the Defiance_ was their ship but Bovid’s superior rank allowed him to commandeer it as his command ship.

“I killed him mom.”

“Judy have you been listening to that fox again?”

“No mom he-“ But before she could continue Bonnie cut her off.

“I knew it was a bad idea putting a fox in charge of your squad.”

“Mom-“

“You can’t trust a predator to do a prey’s job. Especially a fox. It’s in their biology. They’re just to sneaky for-”

Judy quickly cut her off “Lieutenant Grey hasn’t done anything wrong.”

“Are you kidding? Judy he’s had it for you since the moment you two met.”

“None of that’s true, it was _my_ fault Julian died!” The words tore a hole through Judy’s heart as they left her mouth.

“Shhhh, Sweetheart no.” Bonnie replied “It was the Rebels. _They_ killed him.”

Despite the truth of her mother’s words Judy felt something stir within her. It almost felt indignant. “No mom. They were scared.” She said breaking the hold and locking onto her mother’s eyes “They were just protecting their families. Families we murdered!”

“Bun-”

“There was a little cub mom. He couldn’t have been more than five or six years old.” She said.

“I know it might seem unjustified.” Bonnie started.

“It _was_ unjustified!”

“They were Rebels Sweetheart! They would have grown to fill the same shoes as their parents.”

“There were _children_ mom!” She practically shouted.

“Sweetheart keep your voice down.” Bonnie warned, glancing nervously to the side.

Before Judy could continue her assault the door to her room hissed open, in the doorway stood a tall black sheep “Is everything alright in here Commander?” Bovid asked.

Stepping up Bonnie quickly responded “Of course sir! My daughter is just grief stricken.”

Bovid quickly glanced between the two of them, his eyes resting on the second younger rabbit dressed in black armor. ‘ _Sergeant Judy Hopps_.’ He thought. She was certainly brave. While Bovid knew Bonnie Hopps was far from a push over, even she had shown a glint of fear in her eyes. Judy however seemed to hold no such fear. Her posture was rigid and her head held high as she stood at attention. His eyes turned to rest on the identity tags she clutched fiercely to her side “I’m sorry for your loss. The both of you.”

He noticed the slightest hint of a tremor from the younger rabbit “Thank you sir.” They both said.

Turning back to look at the older rabbit, Bovid spoke again “We will be arriving at Centares soon. I would like to request your presence in the hangar for when the High General arrives.”

“Of course sir.” Bonnie responded.

“Good day lieutenant.” He spoke.

“You too Sir.” She spoke before relaxing herself.

As the Admiral closed the door behind him, Bonnie turned to her daughter “Your father wanted me to tell you he was sorry he couldn’t be here. He really does care about you Judy.”

“Tell that to Julian.” Judy muttered beneath her breath.

Bonnie gave her daughter a sympathetic look before she replied “We can talk about this more later.” She turned to leave but hesitated before turning back around and speaking “And please, no more treasonous talk.”

Judy waited for her mother to leave before slumping onto her bed. She couldn’t do this. She couldn’t be a part of a system that treated their citizens so callously. She could wade through the all the laws and restrictions. She could wade through all the curfews and the _isolation_ . But she couldn’t wade through the injustice. _‘I have to get out of here.’_

****

* * *

 

Dropping out of hyperspace, _The Defiance_ came into orbit over the planet Centares. The planet itself was an expansive brown and grey ball of terrain. On the surface the planet held large industrial megacities with enough mines and factories to destroy the planet’s ecosystem and render its once beautiful landscape a shell of its former self.

The thunderous boom signaling _the_ _Defiance’s_ exit from hyperspace stirred Judy from her thoughts. _Well, this is it._ She wanted more time to plan but the truth is if she waited any longer her window would disappear. This was her one shot and she had to take it.

Judy quickly made her way down the narrow metal corridors toward the detention block. She had barely an hour before the General’s shuttle would be arriving. She had dressed herself in her full combat gear but chose to leave her rifle and helmet behind, instead holding onto only her sidearm and baton. Taking her rifle and helmet while off duty might have looked too suspicious. _Am I just being paranoid_?

Truth be told Judy had no idea what she was doing. She knew she had to pack light or she would look too suspicious. A trooper with a full pack of their belongings walking through the ship would set off alarms in any officer’s head. There was so much she had to leave behind. Imperial guidelines never gave much room on how much stuff she could keep, but it was still everything she owned. She would just have to trust what little she had to her siblings.

Judy quickly crossed a small catwalk that hung above one the _Defiance’s_ reactor cores. The _Defiance_ itself was an Imperial Class Star Destroyer and as such was nearly twice as long as the smaller Victory Class ships. The _Defiance_ held a crew of around 35,000 mammals, well over half of which were blood related to Judy in some way. While only around 300 of them were her siblings the ship held countless more cousins, uncles, aunts, step-siblings, and in-laws. Far too few of whom Judy could claim to know personally.

Judy quickly stepped into the available elevator, hitting the control that would propel her for the detention level. As the blast doors began to close however, a single ghost white boot jabbed its way between the doors. As the elevator reopened three new Stormtroopers crossed the threshold and joined Judy in the elevator.

“…and then I said ‘but she’s only _part_ wolf.’” A roar of laughter emanated from the troopers as they made their way into the elevator. As each of them spotted Judy their laughter quieted down until not a sound was spoken. One of the troopers hit a button on the console and the doors slowly began to close. As the doors finally closed shut the elevator began its steady ascent.

Between the four of them there was barely enough space and an awkward silence quickly settled over them. The quiet humming of its generator were all that could be heard for a few moments. Sweat had begun to cling to the edges of Judy’s fur at the base of her ears.

 _‘They know_.’

_‘No that’s impossible there’s no way.’_

_‘But they know_.’

Tilting her head to the side one of the trooper’s helmet’s turned to peer at her from the corner of his visor. Judy’s paw slowly moved to her blaster before resting on the holster. “Do I know you?” One of the troopers asked.  

Slowly her paw unbuckled the latch that held her blaster in its holster. It took all of her willpower to keep her ears from drooping as she turned to look at the trooper. Making eye contact with his helmet she vigorously shook her head.

“No I do know you.” He said again. “You’re Judy Hopps.”

Her ears immediately drooped. ‘ _Shoot them. Shoot them_.’ Her grip tightened around her blaster.

“You know we’re actually cousins.” He said.

Gulping nervously she forced a response. “A-are we?”

“Yeah.” The trooper lowered his head “I was sorry to hear about your brother.” At the mention of her brother Judy’s head dropped. “My name is Mark.”

Judy’s grip on her blaster finally relaxed and her ears slowly perked as she forced a smile. ‘ _I’m such an idiot.’_ “Nice to meet you Mark.”

Suddenly the elevator door slid open to reveal the detention center “Oh this our stop.” Mark said as he gestured to other troopers. ‘ _Oh_ .’ Slowly they all shuffled past her. “Hi we’re here for the shift change.” ‘ _Oh no_.’

“Excellent.” The officer at the command station spoke. Turning to look behind Mark the officer spotted Judy “Is there something I can help you with trooper?”

“uh-umm…” Judy stammered. Everyone in the room, including mark, had turned to look at her. “I… uh…”

“What’s your identification number?” the officer asked.

“Oh that’s Sergeant Judy Hopps.” Mark supplied. ‘ _No, no, no.’_

“What are you doing here Sergeant Hopps?”

“I… was here… to… relieve shifts.” She said hesitantly. .

“That’s our job.” Mark said confused.

“Who’s your commanding officer?” The officer asked. “I’ll need to confirm this with him.”

“Oh no you don’t have to do that.” Judy backpedaled. “There’s clearly been a mix up.” She said, plastering what was likely an incredibly nervous looking smile across her face. “I’ll just go… take this up with him.”

“You’re not going anywhere. Stay right there.” The officer commanded before turning his attention to the console.

Looking around Judy began to weigh her options “Judy?” Mark said.

Looking at Mark she barely had time to give him a silent apology. Drawing her blaster she fired on the farthest trooper. She whipped out her baton and swung at the next trooper. Mark raised his weapon to fire but she ducked. A bolt of red energy soared over her head and she dove forward behind the console. As blaster fire began to rain down, heavy smoke began to obscure the room. Whipping around Judy fired on another trooper before ducking back down as another bolt struck the side of the console. Jumping out again, she batted another trooper before firing on another.

As the smoke began to clear Judy found the room decimated with blaster fire. Three troopers laid dead searing red holes of plasma burned into their armor. ‘ _What have I done?_ ’ She thought.

Slumped over the console laid Mark. His helmet was batted off, revealing the brown fur of her father’s side of the family. _Her_ family. Her eyes turned to the blaster she clutched in her hand. ‘ _What have I done?’_ She thought.

“Judy…?” Her ears picked up. Looking back to Mark he was barely conscious, his face battered and bruised, confusion and betrayal permeating his face. Before she could react he threw his free paw onto the console and hit the alarm.

Mark fell into unconsciousness just as the blare of the alarm pierced Judy’s ears. Judy scrambled to shut off the alarm but it was too late. Once activated the alarm could only be shut off from another command station. Gripping her head in frustration Judy growled “What have I _done_?!” She looked behind her down the long black and red hexagonal corridor.

Fumbling with the console controls Judy found the prisoner layout. _Queen Mother Gazelle, Cell 2187_. Taking one last look at the command console, she darted down the corridor towards The Queen Mother’s cell. Arriving at the cell Judy quickly mashed the rabbit sized control console, and the door slid open. Inside a confused Gazelle dressed in a flowing blue and white dress sat. She had been sitting on the cell’s bed bent over with her hooves clapped together in thought.

The Gazelle straightened her posture before furrowing her brows.

“I… uh…” Breaking herself out of her stupor Judy spoke up “I’m here to rescue you!”

At her words the Queen Mother quickly stood up, towering over the diminutive bunny. “You’re with the Rebellion?”

“Oh… well uh… no.” She responded. “But we have to hurry, they sounded the alarm.”

The Gazelle gave the rabbit a quick once over before making her decision “Fine, but not without my officers.”

“Uhh…” Judy had no time to respond as the gazelle ran past her back down the hallway. How was she supposed to evacuate _twenty_ rebels? The gazelle quickly ran down the hallway to the main console where she hit the master release, with Judy hot on her tail. Mashing another button she sealed the main elevator.

Before Judy could speak the Queen Mother spoke again “There. That should hold them. What’s your plan of escape miss…?”

“Hopps. Judy Hopps.” Judy responded outstretching her tiny arm.

The gazelle smiled gently and took it “I’m the Queen Mother of Hapes, but you can just call me Gazelle.”

“Your name is Gazelle?” Judy asked.

“It comes with the job.” Was all she supplied “Now about your escape plan?” As the two of them spoke, the other rebel officers began to pour out of their cells in confusion.

“Well I was originally thinking we could just commandeer an escape pod.” Judy said looking back at the emerging prisoners “But with this many mammals there’s no way we could make it to the surface without being blasted to bits.”

“How far are we from the hangar?” Gazelle asked.

“Too far.”

“Hmm.” Gazelle thought hard for a moment “Then we’ll need to disable those guns. Do you know how we can do that?”

Judy took a moment to ponder the question “Most of the guns are located on a single power grid.” she responded “All we have to do is disable their battery.”

“Do you think you can do that?”

Judy hesitated a moment before answering “Absolutely.”

Gazelle smiled again at her words. “Then we have a plan of attack. Gentlemammals!” She said as she turned to the officers. “We’re breaking out!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Voila! I have returned! 
> 
> Man that took longer to update than I was expecting. I've had a lot on my mind recently so I haven't been able to write as much as usual. But I'm back to writing now. Maybe i'll be able to get this to update just a tad quicker for you guys. 
> 
> In other news, some of you might be a little confused as to how the imperial ranking system works, and honestly so am I. There's so many conflicting sources it's hard to figure out what's true or not. For now I settled on my own unique take that I think is more reminiscent of the legends material. 
> 
> Heres some end-of-chapter trivia for you. That planet the rebels used as a home base in that last chapter? That's actually a canonical planet! It's the canonical home of the Nexu. AKA the four eyed space panther that went after Padme in Attack of the Clones.


	4. Escape

_‘Oh yeah real great plan Jude!’_ Judy thought to herself. She was currently crawling through the ventilation shafts just above the main power circuit connected to the _Defiance’s_ turret battery. Since Judy was the only one even remotely small enough to fit through the ventilation shafts, it was her job to disable the guns. Meanwhile the rest of the escaping rebels would be causing a distraction. Unfortunately that’s about all she knew, instead they simply told her to wait for the signal.

As she reached the end of the shaft she looked beyond the grate to find two massive pillars with transparent tubing that showed off the massive amounts of green energy actively flowing through the system. Almost directly beneath her and next to the tubing on a raised platform was an imperial officer and two guards flanking him on either side. In front of them sat what seemed to be the control console for the batteries. Below them underneath the platform and near the only entrance were another four guards.

Taking care of the officer and the guards on the platform would be easy enough, but the troopers below could prove troublesome. Their position by the entrance meant they blocked her only means of escape, and with the nearby batteries and cables they would have plenty of cover, while Judy would have almost none.

Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted by a thundering shatter and a rumble from beneath. Not long after the ship’s emergency sirens began to go off. Were as before only the cell blocks had been locked down the entire ship was now under emergency protocols. _‘What are they doing?!’_

The guards near the entrance perked up to the officer who shouted them orders, before trotting off through the entrance and out of sight, leaving just the officer and his two guards. _‘Oh.’_ Judy thought. _‘I guess it worked out then.’_

Turning around in the vents she violently bucked her feet into the grate sending it flying. She quickly hopped out of the vents but the troopers had already spotted her. They opened fire, red laser bolts shooting past Judy striking the wall behind her as she dove for cover. As their onslaught ceased she took the moment to dive out from cover and charge them. By the time they raised their weapons again she was already on top of them. She swung at the officer first striking him square in the jaw and sending him tumbling over the edge. As the two guards raised their weapons she batted them out of the way with her tonfa before striking each of them in the legs, then across the helmet, shattering the visor of one.

_‘That was easier than I thought it would be.’_ Suddenly danger struck her, and she ducked. Not a moment too soon as a red bolt soared past her head and splashed on the wall opposite of her. An unseen trooper was still in the room. He was too far for her to close the distance effectively. She quickly dove behind the command console as another bolt struck the side. Drawing her blaster she moved to fire before she hesitated. Flashes of her fight in the prison block flashed through her mind. The look of betrayal on Mark’s confused face before he hit the alarm. She quickly flipped the switch on her blaster to stun before popping out of cover and firing on the trooper. It connected but the trooper’s armor meant the weaker stun blast absorbed most of it. She ducked again as another bolt struck the side, popping up again to fire another stun blast. This one did the trick, and the trooper was sent flying back and into the battery unconscious.

Breathing a sigh of relief Judy turned to the console and began to type in some commands. After a few moments a faint whirring could be heard emanating from the large batteries. Slowly the energy inside them slowed and dispersed until they were completely still.

Just as Judy was sure the power to the guns was offline she heard the ship’s intercom activate. “All units,” she heard a familiar voice say. _‘Dad.’_ “We have a rogue trooper. Repeat we have a rogue trooper. If you see Sergeant Judy Hopps…” a short pause “you have orders to shoot on sight.” She felt her own ears press flat to the back of her head. She couldn’t even process what she heard correctly. Shock, fear, and _betrayal_ welled within her heart. Before long they balled into anger and Judy could feel her fists clenching by her side. She would have time to process all of this later, right now she had an escape to get back to.

 

* * *

 

On the Bridge, Captain Stuart Hopps released the comms button and with his ears down plopped back into his chair with an exasperated sigh. To his side his wife sat with an look of sympathy. wordlessly Stu turned his gaze to the floor. a warm paw found its way to his shoulder. 

Nearby Admiral Bovid and Lord Save spoke. “The rebels have been doing an excellent job of evading our forces so far. But it appears they’re making for the ship’s aft escape pods.” Admiral Bovid spoke.

“Cut them off before they reach them.” Savage ordered “Those rebels are high priority Admiral, do not fail me.”

“Of course Lord Savage.” Bovid replied. The diminutive lord turned on his heels and stormed toward the elevator.

 

* * *

 

Crimson laser fire echoed and bounced off the octagonal corridors. Smoke and fire blew holes into the walls as the tiny rabbit Stormtroopers pushed on their enemy. The rebel officers themselves, were doing their best to cut a path to the escape pods.

The rebels originally had split off into several groups of soldiers each with their own specific jobs and purposes in order to properly distract and confuse the troopers aboard the _Defiance_. One team bombed the hangar, another the crew deck, and so on. The plan had worked too. The troopers had scrambled to find the source of the attack.

Despite their however, the troopers were able to regroup and gather their forces much more quickly than was the usual for standard Stormtroopers. When the teams all regrouped they were met with more resistance on their way to the escape pod than anticipated. The rebels had to resort to splitting up again in order properly slip through a gap in the Stormtrooper patrol. Unfortunately it didn’t stop the Stormtroopers from finding them.

As more laser fire bounced off the walls Gazelle ducked back down behind a nearby crate. Clutching a blaster tight to her chest she shouted orders out to the other rebels. As she was about to pop up and return fire a nearby ventilation grate exploded outward as it was forced off its hinges. Judy quickly popped out of the shaft before ducking behind the same crate as Gazelle.

Peeking over the crate she saw a small sea of white helmets before her, each clutching their own blaster and firing bolt after bolt of crimson energy. “We’re pinned down.” Gazelle said beside her. “If we wait any longer they’ll have us trapped and we’ll have no choice but to surrender again.”

_‘I knew this was a bad idea.’_ She flinched as a blast ricocheted off the crate inches from her head. Looking to the walls she noticed enclosed cases on the walls on either side ahead of them. Inside fire extinguishers. Ducking back down Judy turned to Gazelle “Target the fire extinguishers!”

Nodding to Judy, Gazelle gestured to the other rebels who followed suit. They quickly turned their guns on the cases and rained a volley of fire onto either side. Within moments the cases burst and a thick white smoke of blew out and obscured the area. “Charge!!” Judy yelled. Within moments the rebels had overrun the Stormtrooper position.

Judy quickly led them through the destroyer’s corridors to the escape pod. Lucky for them, few Stormtroopers were able to cut them off but none of them stopped their momentum. As they reached the final stretch of corridor to the pods they barreled forward.

Just as they were about to reach the pods, diagonal panels quickly closed in and shuttered to a close blocking them for their escape plan. As the rebels paused to assess barrier the pursuing Stormtroopers caught up and began firing on their positions. They dove for cover as fiery bolts hailed on their position. One of the rebels was caught in the arm before falling to the ground.

“Johnson!” Gazelle yelled to a nearby lion before gesturing to a control panel on the side of the wall.

“On it boss!” he quickly yelled back. The large feline quickly popped open the control panel and began to fiddle with its circuits and wiring, all the while laser fire was traded between the two sides. After what felt like ages to Judy a short spark shot from the panel and the blast door began to open. Only for it to halt. The only opening was a small whole in the center of the blast door, barely big enough for a rabbit. “Circuits fried boss, there’s nothing I can do!” Johnson quickly yelled back.

“What about from the other end?!” Judy yelled to Johnson as she stared at the opening.

“It’s possible but we’d need access first!” He yelled back.

Looking to Gazelle Judy said “Cover me while I get the door open!” Nodding to her Gazelle shouted orders to the others and they resumed their exchange of crimson laser fire.

Scrambling up the wall and through the opening, Judy only just barely squeezed through before a laser bolt splashed against her former position. She quickly dropped to the ground and hurried over to the control panel on the side of the wall. Fiddling with the controls she found the door was remotely sealed. She popped the cover and began to slice into the circuits. She was far from a good technician but part of her special forces training included how to slice doors open.

As Judy disconnected and reconnected a variety of wires, the rebels on the other side of the door fought hard. For each moment that passed another rebel was struck down with laser fire. Even as the rebels cut through the Stormtroopers it seemed as though two more would take their place. However as soon as the firefight had started it ended. The Stormtroopers suddenly pulled back and retreated. Taking the opportunity Gazelle poked her head through the opening “How are we doing Judy?” She asked.

Scurrying up the wall and hanging off the edge so she could be at eye level with the doe Judy replied “I’m not a technician so it’s a little difficult. The door is being remotely accessed so I’ll need time to cut them out of the system.”

As Gazelle opened her mouth to speak the lights in the corridor suddenly shut off. For a moment they were suspended in darkness before red emergency lights combusted into existence at the edge of the floor. In the dark corridor opposite of the rebels, stood a small black figure. For a moment they stared in shock and confusion before a single red blade ignited from the figure’s hand. “Open fire!” One of them screamed. The small figure started forward as the rebels opened a volley of laser fire on him. He carelessly batted away the hot plasma as he strode down the corridor toward Judy and Gazelle. Streaks of laser fire scorched the halls and bounced back to their origins striking the now panicking rebels.

Judy’s eyes bulged in fear as Gazelle turned back to face her “Judy you have to escape!”

“What? No! I’m not leaving you behind!” She replied.

“Judy listen to me.” Gazelle head grasping at the small rabbit’s paw through the opening. “This is too important for any one person.” As she finished Gazelle began to hack and cough into her hand. A small chip ejected itself from her stomach and onto her waiting hoof which she extended to Judy. “Take this! Get it to a rebel base! They’re plans for the Empire’s new starship. We have to know how to combat them.”

“I-I can’t-“ Judy stammered out.

“Take it and run!” Gazelle dropped the chip into her hand before turning back to the hallway and firing away at Savage. For a moment Judy watched in horror as Savage approached and cut down rebel after rebel as he neared the blast door.

Leaping from the door to the floor Judy scrambled away toward one of the waiting escape pods. She glanced back only to see flashes of crimson emanating from the door’s opening. Soon a figure jumped and appeared in the mouth of the blast door as it slowly slid open. She quickly dived into the pod’s bay before slamming the pod’s door control. The door hissed to a rapid shut before she made her way over to the pod’s pilot controls. She quickly strapped in and hit the eject button. A heavy wave of g-force was released upon her as the pod jettisoned from the Star Destroyer and into space. Leaving a lone Savage staring through the viewport after the retreating pod. “Fire on that pod!” He ordered through the comm.

“Sir. The anti-fighter batteries are offline.” A trooper responded from the other end.

As a silent anger boiled within him, Savage stared after the pod as it got smaller and smaller in his view, drifting down to the waiting planet below. “Track the pod. I want to know where it lands.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jeez this took FOREVER. I've been so busy recently I barely have any time to write. This chapter was so close to being finished for so long it was infuriating. But I have returned! And here's hoping progress can pick up a little soon.


	5. Centares Chase

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no excuse

Judy was alive! Her head was turning and her ears were ringing but she was alive! Sitting up she looked around the damaged interior of the escape pod. Panels had been torn from their places exposing the loose wiring hidden beneath. Sparks showered in a stable pattern as electrical signals failed to pass through the pod’s circuits. Slowly Judy rose to her feet before stumbling to the pod’s hatch and hitting the emergency release. The doors hissed as the hydraulics powered up before launching the hatch several feet away, crashing into a nearby wall.

The murmuring and rumbles of speech hit her ears as she crawled out of the pod’s hatch. A crowd had formed around her to gawk at the sight of the crashed pod. Her head still pounding, Judy leaned against the side of the pod to take a breather. She touched the side of her face feeling a wet sticky substance cling to her fur and brought her paw down to see a fresh red stain on the tips of her gloves.

One of the bystanders, a small elk, began to approach cautiously. “Ma’am are you okay?”

Judy began to half-heartedly nod an acknowledgement before her ears picked up more noise. “Move it! out of the way! Imperial business!” Frantically she looked around for an escape route before her eyes fell on a nearby alley. She quickly took off, only barely registering the calls behind her yelling for her to stop.

Taking a sharp left down the alley she sprinted off before running out into the middle of a street market. An overwhelming number of senses hit her at once. The smell of spices, the chattering of various conversation, and the wide assortment of color that clouded her vision. Mammals big and small crowded around stalls of varying sizes, each selling their own unique goods.

“Freeze!” Judy heard behind her, and like a rocket she took off again. She could hear the patering of pursuit behind her as she bobbed and weaved between various stalls and mammals. She quickly slid between the legs of a large rhinoceros before bounding over several large crates.

From the crates she launched herself to a taller market stand before jumping across to another, scattering the pots and pans atop it.”Sorry!” She quickly yelled back before leaping up and hauling herself onto the canvas covering a nearby stand. From there she launched herself to a low hanging arch connected to a chain of buildings.

Hauling herself up Judy made her way to the nearest rooftop. As she ran to the next edge she stopped and turned around to find the troopers clambering up the boxes to reach her rooftop. She took off again sprinting down the roof only to jump to the next one. As she landed she heard the troopers shout “Open fire!” followed by three quick blaster bolts scattering the ground around her. On instinct she whipped around, drew her blaster and squeezed off two shots, dropping the troopers to the ground.

For a moment she hesitated. Standing there breathing heavily Judy had a moment to let the impact of her actions sink in. _What have i done?_ She thought. _I just killed two stormtroopers. Two rabbits._ Before Judy could reflect further, two more bolts struck the brick next to her. More troopers appeared in the market below, and Judy quickly fired back two more shots before taking off once more.

Judy leaped from rooftop to rooftop before making a sharp turn and without thinking leapt off the roof. Suddenly the ground below her stretched out into an infinite chasm stretching hundreds of feet. Judy flailed in the air before desperately catching a banner she had not noticed before. As she clutched the banner it ripped from its place swinging Judy straight into the window of another building.

She crashed through the glass as she rolled to a stop in front of a large family of koalas. Scrambling up Judy frantically apologized to the family as she ran through their home to the nearest window before opening it. To her immediate left she found an irrigation pipe that led to the roof. Quickly she grabbed it and scaled it.

As she reached the roof Judy ducked behind a nearby crate and listened. Below she could hear stormtroopers moving around and searching for her. She stealthily crept along the rooftop before reaching the edge of a connected building that towered over her. Finding another drainage pipe she scaled it.

Judy moved along the rooftop for several more minutes until she was sure she had shaken the Stormtroopers from her tail. Falling to her knees Judy rapidly panted out her exhaustion as she had a moment to take a breather. She had no idea where she was, where she was going, or how she was going to get there. Checking her pocket she found the data chip Gazelle had entrusted to her still there. Stowing the chip Judy looked up at the sea of bridges and buildings that stretched before her. And in that sea, an army of stormtroopers all on the hunt for her.

A glimmer caught her eye and she turned to see a large freighter in the distance rising from the edge of the buildings and climbing into the atmosphere before quickly jumping to hyperspace. Leaving this planet should be her first priority. She needed to find the nearest dock and fast.

 

* * *

 

Silence filled the cell as a lone Gazelle sat on her cot, staring holes into the wall across from her. Her eyes hard and filled with tenacity as she listened for the coming steps.

The cell door rapidly slid open with a menacing hiss as two lumbering stormtroopers armored in all black, one Rhino and one Warthog, entered the room and stood guard at the door as Lord Savage stepped past them and into the room. “Where did you send the Sergeant?” He commanded to Gazelle.

Gazelle tilted her head to the side to regard the diminutive rabbit. “You haven’t found her yet?” Gazelle rose from her cot, standing tall and proud over the rabbit before replying “You’ll never find her. She’s far too resourceful.”

“And you know all this from the two conversations you’ve had with her?” he asked sardonically. He raised his paw and the air was forced out of Gazelle’s lungs, forcing her to the ground. “I won’t ask again.” He threatened “ _Where is she?_ ” he hissed.

“I don’t know.” Gazelle choked out as she smiled mockingly, still struggling to breathe. Savage’s expressionless mask stared through her for several seconds. She could feel her windpipe slowly being crushed as the black visor peered through her. Suddenly his grip was released and she fell once more gasping for breath.

“You’re commitment to your cause is admirable. But you are not our only prisoner. And sooner or later one of you will break.” He strained. “And when that time comes… I’ll break _you_.” Sharply Savage turned around and strided through the open cell door. His guards quickly followed, locking the cell behind them.

 

* * *

 

As she hopped over the metallic wall, Judy rolled to a stop behind a crate. Peaking over the crate she looked over the wide assortment of starships that were laid out before her. Each one designed for a myriad of purposes and each with their own crew of people many of whom would turn her over to the imperials if it meant they could make a few credits.

All of the way here, Judy had to evade imperial patrols, ranging from stormtroopers to swoop bikes to two fully armed walkers. The Empire was certainly sparing no expense in her capture. Luckily for her, the same could be said for her training.

Judy’s ears pricked up as the sound of voices neared. “Apparently it’s cause some high-ranking officer or something deserted. The Imperials are offering a big reward to anyone who finds her.” A deep baritone voice said.

“We’re not Bounty Hunters.” Another voice spoke up. “We can’t afford the risk. Besides it won’t matter how much they’re offering if they decide to shut down the space lanes.”

“We can’t leave yet. We’re still waiting on the second half of the shipment.” The bartoned voice insisted.

“And if we don’t leave now we risk waiting out a planet wide lockdown. I don’t know about you but i’d rather stay on Big’s good side.”

 _Big? The crime lord?_ Judy Thought. _They must be smugglers._ Hearing the voices begin to move away, Judy began to trail them, hopping from crate to crate, using her hearing to locate them rather than risk peaking out to watch them. Judging by the weight of their footsteps they couldn’t be very large mammals. Soon enough the voices had reached their ship. “Help me with the last bit of cargo would you?” Judy listened as the two mammals picked up a crate and began to move up their loading ramp.

Once Judy was sure they were inside their ship she risked a peek. Judy wasn’t sure she had seen this ship model before. It reminded her of a cross between an old Jedi-Starfighter and a corellian light freighter boasting the familiar U-shaped design of a corellian YT-1300 but with the sleeker and smaller design of the Jedi-starfighter with its cockpit square in the center of its two wings. Its large engine glowed a light blue as it stretched along the rear of the ship in a long strip. The only noticeable weapon aboard the ship seemed to be a large dorsal quad-laser cannon turret. Certainly  impressive for such a small ship. Finally the ship was painted an even mix between black and dark purple, with the forward most end of the ship painted predominantly purple while the rear stuck to black.

Approaching the ship Judy cautiously made her way up the ramp listening for signs of the two she heard before. Hearing nothing she scampered up the ramp finding a hallway that curved the length of the ship. Square in the center of the hall, sat opened floor panels that had been removed to reveal secret compartments filled with crates. Leaning down she opened one of the lids to inspect the content, finding a large number of bags filled with what appeared to be a bluish purple colored sand.

“Go secure the cargo, i’ll start the ship.” Suddenly said one of the voices. Acting on instinct Judy jumped into the compartment and hid herself behind some of the crates. Listening for the footsteps she heard them slowly tap until they stopped just above the compartment. There was a moment of silence as the figure regarded the scene. Suddenly a grunt of indifference before Judy heard the sound of the lid slide back onto the crate. There was some metal clattering as the floor panel was picked up and resecured leaving Judy with minimal light as the floor panels above her were slightly grated allowing small beams of light to seep through. Judy waited for the mammals footsteps to fade away before breathing a sigh of relief.

After a few moments the ship began to rumble as its engines roared to life. A slight shifting could be felt as the ship began to rise into the air. Suddenly the ship lurched as it began to boost forward. The roaring of the engines was loud in Judy’s ears. Before long there was another shift and a sudden heavy lurch as the ship jumped to hyperspace.

Relaxing Judy laid her head against one of the nearby crates. She was in the clear. For now at least. She had to focus on making contact with the Rebellion, which may prove to be more difficult than she initially thought. The Rebels’ tactics revolved around avoiding and hiding from the Empire. How was she, a former imperial soldier, supposed to find them?

Perhaps the rebellion would find her first? After all she was a high-ranking imperial deserter. She had information that could prove valuable to their cause. But was she sure she even wanted to join them? Judy may not have accepted the Empire’s methods but was she willing to fight them? To take up arms against the very people who raised her? Her brothers and sisters?

A sharp sigh escaped her lips as she leaned her head back once more. Judy pulled the data chip from her pocket and began to trace circles in the chip with her blunt claws. Gazelle had entrusted her with this. It was all rather frantic but Judy _had_ made a promise of sorts. _What would Julian do?_ She asked herself. _Well he probably wouldn’t have betrayed the Empire in the first place Jude!_

She was getting nowhere with this. For now she had made a promise and she intended to keep it. Judy wormed her way to a more comfortable position. She might be stuck here for a while.

 

* * *

 

Judy suddenly awoke to a startling series of clanks and bumps. She heard the sound of metal grating on metal above her. Moments later a panel close to her was pulled back and the steady light of the ship’s interior shone into the cramped crawlspace. Sinking away from the light she made sure anyone peering down wouldn’t be able to see her.

For a moment nothing happened there was simply silence. Suddenly the panel above her slid away and Judy found herself exposed. She looked up to find a very confused looking fox leveling a blaster at her.


End file.
